CN116940795A

CN116940795A - Radiator comprising cooling liquid containing container

Info

Publication number: CN116940795A
Application number: CN202180095080.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马格努斯·卡马克; 弗雷德里克·奥尔森; 维迪姆·塔索; 克里斯托弗·贾普纳
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-03-03
Filing date: 2021-03-03
Publication date: 2023-10-24
Also published as: WO2022184244A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a radiator (100) comprising a container (208) for containing a cooling liquid. The container (208) is arranged on a cooling wall (202), the cooling wall (202) being adjacent to an electron heat source (300) and in thermal contact with the electron heat source (300). The heat sink (100) further includes a heat sink (210), the heat sink (210) having an internal passage (214) connected to the container (208) such that the passage (214) receives gaseous coolant from the container (208) in operation and returns liquid coolant to the container (208) to circulate coolant in the cooling module (200).

Description

Radiator comprising cooling liquid containing container

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a radiator including a coolant accommodating container.

Background

Heat sinks are commonly used to cool electronic components in many industries, such as the telecommunications industry. The most common heat sink material is aluminum (Al) or an aluminum alloy. Another common heat sink material is copper. The thermal properties and dimensions of the material limit the cooling capacity of the heat sink. At the same time, the ambient temperature and wind speed are also important factors affecting the cooling capacity of the radiator.

In many refrigeration scenarios in the telecommunications industry, the heat load distribution is not uniform. In this case, it is important that the heat diffusion and the available volume of the heat sink are fully utilized. Most heat sinks are made of a uniform solid material. Aluminum and copper have thermal and mechanical properties suitable for use in the manufacture of different types of heat sinks. Copper has a high thermal conductivity and is a very good material in partial cooling applications. Copper is suitable for small indoor radiators, but its cost and weight are high. It is not suitable for large heat sinks. Aluminum has poor thermal conductivity but is superior to copper in cost, weight and mechanical properties. However, aluminum heat sinks have lower thermal conductivity than copper. The maximum thermal conductivity of aluminum is about 200W/mK. This capability limits its ability to spread heat in the heat sink as well as its cooling capacity. In some cases, a heat sink made of graphite may be used, but at a high cost, the thermal conductivity is limited to < 1000W/mK. In addition, the mechanical properties of graphite, such as strength, corrosiveness, etc., are not optimal for telecommunication equipment.

In addition, some heat sinks cool in a natural manner, i.e., heat is transferred to the surrounding air by convection, the air being circulated by the differential cold and hot air density. In forced cooling applications, a fan delivers hot air from a heat sink. By optimizing the distance and thickness of the fins for different material heat sinks, the thermal load can be increased and the geometry improved. There are also manufacturing limitations on how the heat sinks and their respective geometries are disposed.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an aim of embodiments of the present invention to provide a solution that reduces or solves the disadvantages and problems of conventional solutions.

It is a further object of embodiments of the invention to provide a solution with improved cooling capacity compared to conventional solutions.

The above and other objects are achieved by the subject matter as claimed in the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are provided in the dependent claims.

According to a first aspect of the invention, the above and other objects are achieved by a heat sink for cooling an electronic heat source, the heat sink comprising one or more cooling modules, each cooling module comprising:

a cooling wall having

A back surface including a connection means for connecting an electronic heat source to the back surface of the cooling wall;

a front face disposed opposite the back face;

a container for holding a cooling fluid, disposed in front of the cooling wall, the cooling wall being adjacent to and in thermal contact with the electronic heat source;

a heat sink disposed in front of the cooling wall, wherein the heat sink comprises an internal passage connected to the container, and wherein the passage is adapted to receive gaseous cooling liquid from the container and return liquid cooling liquid to the container during operation, thereby circulating the cooling liquid in the cooling module.

The back and front faces may also be referred to as a back face or plane and a front face or plane. Thus, in an example, the back and front faces may be defined by extension planes.

According to the first aspect, the radiator has the advantage that the container will hold the liquid coolant close to the heat source, while the heat sink can be filled mainly with gas. This will allow the cooling liquid to move freely in a common volume in gas or liquid form driven by the temperature differences of the different parts of the radiator. Another effect of having this container is that the heat sink can be used almost exclusively for condensation, since the heat sink is mainly filled with gas. This is in sharp contrast to conventional solutions. In conventional solutions, the cooling fins are always partially filled with liquid, thus compromising the condensation of the cooling liquid. Thus, the thermal properties of the heat sink according to the first aspect, such as the heat conducting capacity, i.e. the ability of heat to diffuse in the material, are improved compared to conventional solutions. The improved thermal performance may be further used to reduce the volume and weight of the heat sink compared to conventional heat sinks. This is very attractive to telecom operators and is therefore an important competitive factor.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the channel is connected to the container by:

an inlet portion for receiving gaseous cooling liquid from an opening of the container;

and an outlet portion for returning the liquid coolant to the opening of the container.

An advantage of this embodiment is that special components for receiving the cooling fluid and for returning the cooling fluid are provided.

In an implementation form of the radiator according to the first aspect, the inlet portion extends substantially along an extension plane of the cooling wall.

The advantage of this embodiment is that the gaseous cooling fluid can rise in the radiator.

In an implementation form of the radiator according to the first aspect, the outlet portion extends outwardly from the plane of extension of the stave at an angle relative to the plane of extension of the stave.

The advantage of this embodiment is that gravity is used to return the cooling liquid to the container.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the angle is between horizontal and relatively vertical in operation.

The advantage of this embodiment is that the angle can be used as a design parameter for adapting the heat sink to different applications.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the heat sink comprises a solid base arranged at a lower portion of the stave, wherein the channels are arranged above the solid base.

The advantage of this embodiment is that the cooling performance of the radiator is further improved, since the solid base serves as a large cooling element in the radiator, thereby enhancing the circulation of cooling liquid in the radiator.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the top of the solid base forms the bottom of the outlet portion.

The advantage of this embodiment is that the process of guiding the liquid coolant back into the container is improved.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the container is arranged between a front face of the stave and the solid base.

The advantage of this embodiment is that the cooling performance of the radiator is further improved.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the container is arranged in a lower part of the cooling wall, in particular in front of the cooling wall opposite the electron heat source.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the heat sink comprises two or more cooling modules connected to each other.

An advantage of this embodiment is that a modular cooling system can be provided.

In an implementation form of the radiator according to the first aspect, the two or more cooling modules are interconnected with each other such that a cooling liquid may be circulated between the two or more cooling modules.

The advantage of this embodiment is that if the thermal load between the two cooling modules is different, interconnection means that the thermal load can be shared between the two cooling modules to improve the cooling effect of the entire radiator.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the two or more cooling modules are interconnected to each other by conduit coupling openings of the containers of the respective two or more cooling modules.

The advantage of this embodiment is that the conduit acts as an overflow conduit, so that excess liquid condensate in the upper cooling module can be moved down to the lower cooling module. However, the gaseous cooling liquid may also move upwards from the lower cooling module to the upper cooling module. Thus, the duct has a dual function, thereby improving the cooling characteristics of the radiator.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the two or more cooling modules are interconnected by a coupling channel interconnecting channels of the respective two or more cooling modules.

An advantage of this embodiment is that the gaseous cooling fluid can more easily move between the two cooling modules.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the two or more cooling modules comprise the same number of channels or a different number of channels.

This embodiment has the advantage of providing flexibility in designing the heat sink.

In an implementation form of the heat sink according to the first aspect, the two or more cooling modules comprise the same channel configuration or different channel configurations.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the above and other objects are achieved by a device comprising one or more cooling modules according to any of the preceding embodiments and one or more electronic heat sources connected at the cooling modules.

Further applications and advantages of embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows.

Drawings

The drawings are intended to illustrate and explain various embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate two different views of a heat sink according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate two different views of a heat sink according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate heat sinks having different channel configurations according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a heat sink including two cooling modules connected to each other vertically according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a heat sink including two cooling modules connected to each other vertically according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a heat sink including two cooling modules horizontally connected to each other according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate two interconnected cooling modules at two different perspectives in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 illustrates a heat sink including three cooling modules according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 13 shows an apparatus in a base station according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

For telecommunication equipment installed in towers, mast roofs, etc., it is not recommended to increase the cooling capacity by introducing forced air solutions (e.g. using fans). This fan solution requires maintenance to ensure long-term operation of the fan. This can lead to significant cost and reliability problems for the telecommunications equipment. Thus, passive maintenance-free cooling solutions are generally preferred.

Some prior art techniques may incorporate heat sinks to improve heat spreading. Such as heat pipes, vacuum chamber vapor chamber (vapor chamber), and thermosiphons. These solutions use a cooling liquid, which evaporates in the hot zone close to the heat source and condenses in another cooler part of the radiator. Some coolants, such as water, have suitable physical properties, i.e., latent heat, viscosity, and density, and in a two-phase system of condensation-evaporation, heat can be very efficiently transferred in the heat sink. The local integration of such a two-phase system into a heat sink is very effective for a single electrical component.

A two-phase cooling assembly connected or built into a heat sink can generally move heat from one area or location in the heat sink to another, but cannot be connected to every portion of the heat sink. The volume through which the cooling fluid can circulate is limited to a single fin, a single heat pipe, or a single radiator floor. There is a single heat sink with an integrated two-phase system and there is a base plate with an integrated two-phase system, but no solution can connect all parts of the heat sink, base plate and heat sink into a single two-phase system.

It is therefore an object of embodiments of the present invention to increase the heat transfer capacity of a radiator, allowing heat to be more efficiently spread in the radiator while using a small amount of cooling fluid. By introducing a container containing a cooling liquid, the amount of cooling liquid required in the radiator is reduced compared to a conventional radiator. The different parts of the present heat sink may be connected by a common internal closed volume. Thus, the two-phase cycle can be performed in an enclosed volume and more efficiently distribute heat in the heat sink.

Fig. 1 and 2 illustrate two different views of a heat sink for cooling an electronic heat source according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a heat sink, and fig. 2 is a cross-sectional back view of a heat sink. Typically, the heat sink 100 includes one or more cooling modules, but only one cooling module 200 is shown in fig. 1 and 2. In the following disclosure, embodiments including a plurality of modules will be presented in more detail.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, each cooling module 200 includes a cooling wall 202 having a back surface 204, the back surface 204 including a connection means 212 for connecting at least one electronic heat source 300 at the back surface 204 of the cooling wall 202. The stave 202 also has a front face 206 disposed opposite the back face 204. Each cooling module 200 further includes a container 208, the container 208 for containing a cooling fluid, which is disposed on the front face 206 of the cooling wall 202, the cooling wall being adjacent to the electronic heat source 300 and in thermal contact with the electronic heat source 300. The heat sink 210 is disposed at the front face 206 of the stave 202, the heat sink 210 comprising an internal channel 214 connected to the vessel 208. The passage 214 is configured to receive gaseous coolant from the reservoir 208 during operation and return liquid coolant to the reservoir 208, thereby circulating the coolant in the cooling module 200.

The back side of the cooling wall 202 may be connected to an electronic heat source, such as an electrical component on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The front face of the stave 202 opposite the back face may be in direct contact with the cooling liquid. The connection means 212 may be mechanical fastening means such as screws and bolts, or adhesive such as heat conductive glue. Examples of electronic heat sources 300 are application specific integrated circuits (application specific integrated circuit, ASIC) and field programmable gate arrays (field programmable gate array, FPGA).

The cooling liquid is shown by arrows in the figure. Wherein the black arrows represent liquid coolant and the white arrows represent gaseous coolant. Further, the liquid coolant in the reservoir 208 is shown in the figure. Thus, when the electronic heat source 300 is in an active state, i.e., in operation, heat is generated by the electronic heat source 300. Heat will be transferred from the electronic heat source 300 through the cooling wall 202 to the cooling fluid contained in the container 208. Thus, a portion of the coolant will be converted to a gaseous form and the gaseous coolant will move within the internal passages of the cooling module 200. When the gas is sufficiently cooled in the internal passage, the cooling liquid will switch from the gas form back to the liquid form and be directed downwardly back into the container 208 due to gravity. In this way, the cooling fluid will circulate in the heat sink between the reservoir 208 and the interior channels 214 of the heat sink 210, thereby cooling the electronic heat source 300.

In other words, the cooling liquid is heated by the heat load, evaporates and rises into the fins, and the fins 210 have internal passages through which the gas/liquid in the radiator 100 flows, thus connecting the cooling wall with the outer plates of the fins 210. When the vaporized gas reaches the cooler areas in the fins, the gas will condense back to liquid form and be gravity fed back to the reservoir 208 of the heat sink 100. The internal volume of the heat sink 210 for the two-phase cycle is connected to the volume of the vessel 208. This means that the condensed and evaporated cooling liquid can move to any part of the radiator inner volume. Thereby making the heat diffusion effect in the heat sink 100 good.

In an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the channels 214 of the heat sink 210 are connected to the container 208 through an inlet portion 216 and a separate outlet portion 218, wherein the inlet portion 216 is configured to receive gaseous cooling fluid from the opening 228 of the container 208 and the separate outlet portion 218 is configured to return liquid cooling fluid to the opening 228 of the container 208. As shown in fig. 1, the inlet portion 216 may extend substantially along an extension plane P of the stave 202. In operation, the plane of extension P may be substantially vertical. Thus, the gas may move upward from the container 208 into the channels 214 of the fins 210.

As further shown in fig. 1, the outlet portion 216 extends outwardly from the plane of extension P of the stave 202 at an angle α relative to the plane of extension P of the stave 202 during operation. In operation, the mentioned angle α may be between horizontal (H) and relative vertical (OV). Here, vertical may mean parallel to the gravity acting on the heat sink 100 and the volume of the container 208. This means that the angle alpha is between 0 and 90 degrees.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the container 208 is disposed at a lower portion 222 of the stave 202, particularly at a front 206 of the stave 202 opposite the electron heat source 300. Thus, as much heat as possible may be transferred from the electronic heat source 300 to the cooling fluid in the container 208.

The volume of the container 208 and, accordingly, the size of the container 208 may be adapted to the application. For example, the lateral dimensions of the container 208 may depend on the thermal load and the coolant used in the heat sink 100. For example, some coolants require a larger cross-sectional area to exhibit good performance. Furthermore, the vertical dimension of the container may depend on the thermal load and thermal load size of the heat sink 100. Ideally, the level of cooling fluid in the vessel 208 may be higher than the level of thermal load.

Fig. 3 and 4 illustrate two different views of a heat sink 100 according to another embodiment of the present invention; the main difference compared to the heat sink 100 in fig. 1 and 2 is that the heat sink 210 in the present embodiment comprises a solid base 220 arranged at the lower portion 222 of the cooling wall 202, which means that in this case the channels 214 are arranged in a relatively vertical direction above the solid base 220 in the cooling module 200. The solid base 220 may be formed of the same material as the rest of the heat sink, such as the fins 210 and channels 214. The solid base 220 may form a large cooling area, thereby improving circulation in the heat sink 100 and thus improving cooling capacity.

As can also be noted from fig. 3, the top of the solid base 220 forms the bottom of the outlet portion 218 such that liquid coolant can flow down the top of the solid base 220 into the container 208. In this regard, the container 208 may be disposed between the front face 206 of the stave 202 and the solid base 220, as shown in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate two heat sinks with different channel configurations according to embodiments of the present invention; the internal channels in fig. 5 extend substantially in the horizontal plane, while the channels in fig. 6 extend in the vertical plane. It should be noted that embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the channel configuration shown. For example, the channels may have different shapes and sizes and extend in different planes as long as the coolant is properly directed in the channels for circulation in the radiator 100. According to rules of thumb, the channel configuration should be designed such that the evaporated cooling liquid can condense in the cooling channel at a sufficient rate.

It should also be noted that the angle α of the heat sink 100 in fig. 5 and 6 is smaller than the angle α in fig. 1 and 3. The heat sink 100 of the present invention was tested to perform well at angles alpha between approximately 0 and 30 degrees horizontally. In operation, the heat sink 100 itself may be tilted from-20 degrees to +20 degrees with good performance. This means that the heat sink 100 is suitable for installation in a telecommunications pole or the like.

Fig. 7 shows a heat sink comprising two cooling modules 200a,200b connected to each other according to an embodiment of the invention. In this case, the two cooling modules 200a,200b are connected to each other in a vertical plane, and thus the first cooling module 200a stacked on each other is disposed on top of the second cooling module 200b. The cooling modules 200a,200b are not interconnected, which means that the two cooling modules 200a,200b form a separate circuit for circulation of the cooling fluid, as indicated by the arrows in fig. 7. In addition, the second cooling module 200b at the bottom of the heat sink 100 also includes a solid base 220 as previously described. However, the first cooling module 200a disposed on top of the second cooling module 200b does not itself have a solid base. However, the first cooling module 200a may have a solid base. It may also be noted that the two cooling modules 200a,200b in fig. 7 comprise the same number of channels and the same channel configuration. However, this may not always be the case as shown in fig. 8.

Fig. 8 shows a heat sink comprising two cooling modules 200a,200b according to another embodiment of the invention, wherein the two cooling modules 200a,200b comprise different numbers of channels but the same channel configuration. Thus, it should be appreciated that the cooling modules of the heat sink 100 may have the same number of channels or a different number of channels and/or the same channel configuration or different channel configurations. This means that any combination is possible within the scope of the invention. The number of channels and channel configuration may depend on the heat source connected to a particular cooling module. For example, depending on the amount of heat generated by the heat source(s). In this regard, it may be noted that different electronic heat sources may produce different heat levels and have different operating thermal limits.

Fig. 9 shows an embodiment of the cross-sectional back view when two cooling modules 200a,200b are connected to each other in the horizontal plane, i.e. side by side. The cooling modules 200a,200b may be in thermal contact with each other or thermally isolated from each other. Thermal isolation is achieved by using plastic parts or any other thermally isolating material connected between the cooling modules 200a,200 b. On the other hand, for the thermal contact between the cooling modules 200a,200b, any material with good thermal conductivity may be used.

Fig. 10 and 11 show a cross-sectional side view and a cross-sectional back view, respectively, of two cooling modules 200a,200b according to an embodiment of the present invention. The two cooling modules 200a,200b are interconnected to each other such that a cooling fluid can be circulated between two or more cooling modules 200a,200b, i.e. the two cooling modules 200a,200b do not form separate closed circuits but form a common circuit in which the cooling fluid can circulate.

Different apparatus and methods may be employed to interconnect the two cooling modules 200a,200b, and in the non-limiting disclosed example, the two or more cooling modules 200a,200b are interconnected to one another by a conduit 224 that connects the openings 228a,228b of the containers 208a,208b of the respective two or more cooling modules 200a,200 b. The conduit 224 may be considered as an overflow tube, ensuring that coolant is not trapped in one of the cooling modules to improve cooling throughout the radiator 100. Thus, in operation, the coolant may move in a gaseous form in the conduit from the bottom module 200b up to the upper module 200a. Meanwhile, the cooling liquid may also move downward from the upper module 200a to the lower module 200b in liquid form during operation. A corresponding fluid connection, conduit 224, in which liquid flows down to the lower container 208b, is most appropriate for the base. The inlet thereof may be located at a position where the container 208a is not discharged too much, because this may affect the circulation of the cooling liquid in the radiator 100.

Furthermore, as shown in fig. 10, to improve circulation, the two cooling modules 200a,200b may also be interconnected by a coupling channel 226, the coupling channel 226 interconnecting the channels 214a,214b of the respective two or more cooling modules 200a,200 b. The coupling channel 226 is mainly used for gas connection allowing gas circulation between the two cooling modules 200a,200 b. It is contemplated that a liquid may use conduit 224 to flow downward in heat sink 100, while a gas may use coupling channel 226 to rise in heat sink 100. However, they are not limited to the use described, and both gas and liquid may use, in part, conduit 224 and coupling channel 226. However, it is important that at least the liquid can flow downwards in the radiator 100, since too much gas will never rise due to natural physics. Most of the condensate may diffuse in the fins and due to the angle α, the condensate may not find a way to reach the coupling channel 226. Instead, the gas will move toward the coldest regions of the heat sink 100, i.e., the fins, rather than toward the conduit 224. The heat sink is usually where cold gas condenses, the density of the liquid is much higher than that of the gas, so that a pressure shortage occurs and new gas is needed to compensate. Once in the heat sink, the gas may or may not condense before reaching the coupling channel 226. If the gas is not condensed, the gas will continue to rise through the coupling channel 226.

The purpose of interconnecting the cooling modules may be that the heat load between the cooling modules is very uneven, so that the heat load may be dispersed to a larger area to improve the cooling effect in the overall heat sink 100.

The size and design of the conduit 224 and the coupling channel 226 depend on the cooling application. In this regard, one interesting parameter may be the flow area through the conduit 224 and the coupling channel 226. It is contemplated that these parameters may be adjusted to meet the requirements of a particular application. The flow area is also an interesting parameter to consider when designing the internal passage 214. In this regard, the flow area may be considered for a single channel, a sub-portion of a channel, or all channels of the fin 210.

Fig. 12 shows a heat sink comprising three cooling modules 200a,200b, 200c according to an embodiment of the invention. In general, the heat sink 100 disclosed herein may have any number of cooling modules connected to each other in a vertical plane and/or a horizontal plane. In the exemplary case, it may be noted that three cooling modules 200a,200b, 200c are stacked on top of each other in a vertical plane, and each cooling module includes its own electronic heat source connected to the back side. Furthermore, in this particular example, only the bottom cooling module 200c includes the solid base 200, and each module forms its own loop, i.e., the cooling modules 200a,200b, 200c are not interconnected with each other. However, in embodiments not shown that include a plurality of cooling modules, some or all of the cooling modules may be interconnected with each other, and some or all of the cooling modules may include their own solid base.

The geometry and dimensions of the heat sink 100 may vary depending on the application according to embodiments of the invention. For a given application, some parameters may be considered to optimize the geometry of the heat sink 100. Non-limiting examples of parameters may be the radiator height and width, the number of fins, the fin width and length, the fin spacing in different directions, the angle of the fins with respect to the cooling wall, i.e. angle α, the number and size of fins and liquid channels, the filling level of the cooling liquid, etc.

Different cooling liquids and materials in the radiator element can be considered. Non-limiting examples are R1233zd, acetone, ammonia, and water. It may be noted that the combination of coolant and radiator material is important. For example, the combination of water and aluminum has low performance because such combination will produce non-condensable gases within the vessel and channels, resulting in reduced heat transfer capability. Aluminum and R1233zd, and copper and water may be better combinations.

Manufacturing methods for producing the present heat sink 100 include, but are not limited to, die casting, sheet metal blanking and stamping, extrusion, or any other suitable method. The junction of the different radiator parts can be sealed and the internal overpressure is handled. The joining method may be brazing and welding.

Fig. 13 shows an apparatus 300 comprising one or more cooling modules according to any of the preceding claims and one or more electronic heat sources connected at the cooling modules. The apparatus 300 may be part of a base station for cooling electrical components such as antennas, antenna arrays, remote radio units (remote radio units, RRUs) and massive multiple-input multiple-output (multiple input multiple output, MIMO) devices.

Research has shown that the amount of cooling fluid required in current heat sinks can be reduced by 60% -75% compared to conventional heat sinks. In addition, the cooling capacity is also improved compared to conventional heat sinks. For example, the temperature of typical components in a typical radio base station application may be significantly reduced by about 10-20 degrees celsius.

Finally, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also relates to and incorporates all embodiments within the scope of the appended independent claims.

Claims

1. A heat sink (100) for cooling an electronic heat source, the heat sink (100) comprising one or more cooling modules, each cooling module (200) comprising:

a stave (202) having

-a back surface (204) comprising connection means (212) for connecting an electronic heat source (300) at said back surface (204) of said cooling wall (202);

a front face (206) disposed opposite the back face (204);

-a container (208) for containing a cooling liquid, arranged at said front face (206) of said cooling wall (202), said cooling wall being adjacent to said electronic heat source (300) and in thermal contact with said electronic heat source (300);

a heat sink (210) disposed at the front face (206) of the stave (202), wherein the heat sink (210) comprises an internal channel (214) connected to the vessel (208), and wherein the channel (214) is adapted to receive gaseous cooling liquid from the vessel (208) and return liquid cooling liquid to the vessel (208) during operation, thereby circulating cooling liquid in the cooling module (200).

2. The heat sink (100) of claim 1, wherein the channel (214) is connected to the container (208) by:

an inlet portion (216) for receiving gaseous cooling liquid from an opening (228) of the container (208);

an outlet portion (218) for returning liquid coolant to the opening (228) of the container (208).

3. The heat sink (100) according to claim 2, wherein the inlet portion (216) extends substantially along an extension plane (P) of the cooling wall (202).

4. A radiator (100) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the outlet portion (216) extends outwardly from the plane of extension (P) of the cooling wall (202) at an angle (α) relative to the plane of extension (P) of the cooling wall (202).

5. The heat sink (100) according to claim 4, wherein the angle (α) is between horizontal and relatively vertical in operation.

6. The heat sink (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heat sink (210) comprises a solid base (220) arranged at a lower portion (222) of the cooling wall (202), and the channel (214) is arranged above the solid base (220).

7. The heat sink (100) according to claim 6, wherein a top of the solid base (220) forms a bottom of the outlet portion (218) when dependent on any of claims 2 to 5.

8. The heat sink (100) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the container (208) is arranged between a front face (206) of the cooling wall (202) and the solid base (220).

9. The heat sink (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the container (208) is arranged in a lower portion (222) of the cooling wall (202), in front of (206) the cooling wall (202), opposite the electron heat source (300).

10. The heat sink (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heat sink (100) comprises two or more cooling modules (200 a,200b …, … …,200 n) connected to each other.

11. The radiator (100) according to claim 10, wherein the two or more cooling modules (200 a,200 b) are interconnected to each other such that the cooling liquid can be circulated between the two or more cooling modules (200 a,200 b).

12. The heat sink (100) according to claim 11, wherein the two or more cooling modules (200 a,200 b) are interconnected to each other by a conduit (224) coupling opening (228 a,228 b) of a container (208 a,208 b) of the respective two or more cooling modules (200 a,200 b).

13. The heat sink (100) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the two or more cooling modules (200 a,200 b) are interconnected by a coupling channel (226) connecting channels (214 a,214 b) of the respective two or more cooling modules (200 a,200 b).

14. The heat sink (100) according to any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the two or more cooling modules (200 a,200 b) comprise the same number of channels or a different number of channels.

15. The heat sink (100) according to any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the two or more cooling modules (200 a,200 b) comprise the same channel configuration or different channel configurations.

16. An apparatus (300) comprising one or more cooling modules according to any one of the preceding claims and one or more electronic heat sources connected at the cooling modules.